Jimmy Riley
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Riley is a Jamaica
n singer who in addition to recording solo has also been a member of the Sensations and The Uniques
.
on 22 May 1954, Riley grew up in the city's Waterhouse district and attended Kingston Senior School along with Slim Smith
. When Smith had success in The Techniques
, Riley hung around with the group hoping to join, but was limited to carrying things for them and helping out with harmonies. He decided to form his own group, The Sensations, along with Cornell Campbell
, Buster Riley (brother of The Techniques' Winston Riley), and Aaron "Dego" Davis. The Sensations had a successful audition for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid
, and the group had mid-1960s success with "Everyday is Just a Holiday" and "Those Guys". On leaving the group in 1967, Riley joined Smith and Lloyd Charmers
in the re-formed Uniques, having huge success with songs such as "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation". When the Uniques split up, Riley initially recorded as a solo artist for Bunny Lee
before moving away to record independently. He began producing his own recordings and others by artists such as Slim Smith and Delroy Wilson
. He had several hits in the 1970s, including "Tell The Youths The Truth", "Nyah Bingi", and "Clean up the Streets", and continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie's Taxi productions. In 1983, Riley topped the UK reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye
's "Sexual Healing
". In the late 1980s, Riley moved to Miami, and put his career on hold, but returned to Jamaica in the early 1990s.
Riley's son Tarrus Riley
followed him into music, and the success of Tarrus gave a boost to Jimmy's career. They have performed together several times, headlining a number of festivals including the Ocho Rios Seafood Festival in 2007. Jimmy Riley's latest album Sly and Robbie Presents Jimmy Riley: Pull Up Selector saw him again working with Sly & Robbie, and features Tarrus on the title track, which was also released as a single in 2008.
Compilations:
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n singer who in addition to recording solo has also been a member of the Sensations and The Uniques
The Uniques (Jamaican group)
The Uniques were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group, formed in 1966 and active with varying line-ups until the late 1970s.-History:...
.
Biography
Born in Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
on 22 May 1954, Riley grew up in the city's Waterhouse district and attended Kingston Senior School along with Slim Smith
Slim Smith
Slim Smith was a ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. In their book Reggae: The Rough Guide , Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton described Smith as "the greatest vocalist to emerge in the rocksteady era".-Biography:Smith first came to prominence as a member of the Victors Youth Band, who were highly...
. When Smith had success in The Techniques
The Techniques
The Techniques were a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group mainly active in the 1960s.-History:The group was formed by Winston Riley in 1962 while still at school, with the initial line-up also featuring Slim Smith, Franklyn White, and Frederick Waite...
, Riley hung around with the group hoping to join, but was limited to carrying things for them and helping out with harmonies. He decided to form his own group, The Sensations, along with Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell aka Don Cornell or Don Gorgon is a reggae singer, best known for his trademark falsetto voice, and his recordings at Studio One in the late 1960s and his later work with Bunny Lee in the 1970s.-Biography:Cornel has one of the sweetest falsettos of any Jamaican vocalist and uses it...
, Buster Riley (brother of The Techniques' Winston Riley), and Aaron "Dego" Davis. The Sensations had a successful audition for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid
Duke Reid
Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....
, and the group had mid-1960s success with "Everyday is Just a Holiday" and "Those Guys". On leaving the group in 1967, Riley joined Smith and Lloyd Charmers
Lloyd Charmers
Lloyd Charmers is a ska and reggae singer, keyboard player and record producer.-Career:...
in the re-formed Uniques, having huge success with songs such as "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation". When the Uniques split up, Riley initially recorded as a solo artist for Bunny Lee
Bunny Lee
Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
before moving away to record independently. He began producing his own recordings and others by artists such as Slim Smith and Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer.-Biography:Wilson released his first single "Emy Lou" in 1961 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, at the age of thirteen...
. He had several hits in the 1970s, including "Tell The Youths The Truth", "Nyah Bingi", and "Clean up the Streets", and continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie's Taxi productions. In 1983, Riley topped the UK reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "Sexual Healing
Sexual Healing
"Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year...
". In the late 1980s, Riley moved to Miami, and put his career on hold, but returned to Jamaica in the early 1990s.
Riley's son Tarrus Riley
Tarrus Riley
Tarrus Riley is a Jamaican-American reggae singer, the son of Jimmy Riley.-Biography:...
followed him into music, and the success of Tarrus gave a boost to Jimmy's career. They have performed together several times, headlining a number of festivals including the Ocho Rios Seafood Festival in 2007. Jimmy Riley's latest album Sly and Robbie Presents Jimmy Riley: Pull Up Selector saw him again working with Sly & Robbie, and features Tarrus on the title track, which was also released as a single in 2008.
Discography
- Tell The Youths The Truth (1978), TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
- Majority Rule (1978), Burning Sounds
- Makossa International Records Presents Jimmy Riley (1978), Makossa International
- The Jimmy Riley Showcase (1978), Burning Sounds/Yes/Makossa International
- Rydim Driven (1981), Taxi aka Love & Devotion (2000), Rhino
- Put The People First (1982), ShanachieShanachie RecordsShanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
- Magic (1984), Imp
- World for Everyone (1985)
- Love Fa Real (1995),
- Attention (1996), Abraham
- Rock On (1998), Charm
- Someone Like You (1998), Nyam Up
- Love Canticle (2000), Charm
- Jimmy Riley Now (2001), Jetstar
- Sly and Robbie Presents Jimmy Riley: Pull Up Selector (2009), Taxi
Compilations:
- 20 Classic Hits (1993), Sonic Sounds
External links
- Jimmy Riley at Roots Archives